


Unexpected Help

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 21:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16437257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: When gunmen raid a store, Jim and Blair get some unexpected help





	Unexpected Help

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'spirit animals'

 

179 - spirit animals

Unexpected Help

by Bluewolf

"Get over there!"

The two gunmen - the lower part of their faces covered by scarves - indicated that the half dozen customers in the gas station shop should move to a corner that was at a distance from the check-out and as far from the doorway as it was possible to be.

Jim and Blair - the one had been paying for gas while the other checked for nibbles that he considered worth buying - glanced at each other as they allowed themselves to be shepherded into the corner with the other four people who had come in to pay for gas. Faced with men already holding guns, both knew that their best bet was to do what they were told, while trying to register everything they could that would help them to identify the thieves.

While one of the two men guarded the customers, the other turned to the cashier. "Empty the till!"

The young man - who, Blair knew, was a student at Rainier, earning some money by working at the gas station for a few hours a week - hastened to obey, although nerves were causing his hands to shake.

Meanwhile, the man guarding the customers was frowning. "You!" he snapped, aiming his gun direct at Jim. "You're a cop!"

Jim fought to look as unintimidating as possible. "Even cops need to buy gas," he pointed out.

The man's scowl deepened. "The day we're here?"

"You trying to say he's clairvoyant, man? That he knew you were going to be here? So why is it that you have the gun and he doesn't?" Blair asked.

The gun swung in his direction. "You a cop-lover, boy?"

Blair was very aware of Jim thinking at him, 'Say no!' "Do I look like one?" he asked. "I'm a student; and if you could hear my mother on the subject of cops... I grew up knowing all about the tyranny of the pigs. But fair's fair. Even a cop doesn't know what's going to happen until it happens." He was suddenly aware of the presence of a familiar-looking wolf and panther; and an unfamiliar-looking honey badger and a wolverine. Were those two the spirit animals of the two criminals? If they were...

And then the wolf faced the wolverine and the panther the honey badger.

He glanced at Jim, and knew that Jim was also aware of the spirit animals. And then another spirit animal appeared, moving to join wolf and panther; a small python.

The honey badger lunged for the python; the panther snarled and leaped onto its back, and hung on. The python judged its time and wrapped itself around the honey badger's neck, tightening its grip, while the wolf snarled at the wolverine.

The man facing Jim and Blair grabbed at his neck, choking; Blair nodded to himself. The honey badger, then, was this man's spirit animal; and while he didn't actually want the man dead, what the spirit animals did was their business. He glanced at the other thief; he, too, seemed to be having trouble breathing and Blair glanced back at the spirit animals. The wolf had a firm grip on the wolverine's throat.

There were two thuds as first one, then the other, thief collapsed.

Jim moved forward instantly. He kicked aside the gun that the man facing him had dropped, groped in his pocket for his handcuffs, and cuffed the man, carefully threading the chain joining the two cuffs around a heavy display unit.

Meanwhile Blair moved to the other man, and sat on his shoulders. He glanced up at the young cashier. "Call the cops!" he said.

The youngster did, then said, his voice shaking "What happened to them?"

"Good question," Blair said. "But I don't have an answer," he added mendaciously. He suspected that the python was the spirit animal of the cashier, come to back up wolf and panther. But how to explain that?

Meanwhile Jim was talking to the other four customers, too quietly for Blair to hear what he was saying - but he knew. He knew Jim was asking for names, getting additional witnesses for when - if - these two went to trial.

But he had a feeling that neither would survive; and the story would go down as apparently urban legend - the two gunmen who dropped dead in the middle of their robbery. And only he and Jim would know why.

 


End file.
